This invention relates to a method of packaging a foam article, and more particularly to a method of so called `flat-packing` a plastics foam article, for example a pet bed, as well as to an article packaged according to the method.
Pet beds commonly comprise a fabric-covered foam cushion surrounded by an upstanding sidewall, usually circular or oval, the sidewall itself consisting of fabric-covered foam, some beds being provided with a reduced-height extent in the sidewall for entry to and exit from the bed by a pet, for example a cat or dog.
Such beds are produced in a variety of sizes ranging from typically 35 cms to 106 cms in diameter, therefore being suitable for domestic animals ranging from small kittens to large dogs.
Beds of this type are relatively bulky, and, although the different sizes of beds can be stacked one within the other, transportation, storage and display can pose problems.
In particular, the area of shelf-space required to display such a product in its natural condition in a supermarket or like retail outlet is considerably more than is warranted by the financial yield from the product.
It has been proposed, for the purposes of transportation, storage, and display, to remove the cushion from the bed, to wrap the cushion and sidewall up together, and to put the wrapped-up product in a cardboard sleeve. This clearly reduces the volume of the product, but has a number of disadvantages.
In particular, the product is unattractive to the potential customer who can't fully appreciate what is in the package, while the foam used in conventional pet beds is not such that it springs back to its original shape if it has been left compressed in the sleeve for some time, and the space saved is not considerable compared with a nested set of beds.